FicWad

I was arranging and rearranging my locker, because I had nothing else to do. Patrick was home sick, and I lacked the social skills to make any other friends. I sighed and reminded myself that it would only be another year before Anna was in high school. My lips curled into a faint smile that I tried to repress so that anybody passing by wouldn't think I was smiling about nothing. I turned my head away from a group of boys standing nearby, and caught the sight of my reflection in the small, pink wire-rimmed locker mirror. I was pale with wispy, wavy, dark blond hair and bright blue-gray eyes, hidden by black-rimmed glasses. My hair was pulled back into a sleek, high ponytail that bounced whenever I turned my head. I grinned at my reflection; I wasn't half bad. I was becoming lost in Lexi Land somewhere, and I almost didn't notice when the sound of another voice interrupted.
“Um...you're Lexi, right?”
I whirled around, embarrassed. I could feel it as the furious pink crept into my cheeks, working it's way up to my ears. I wanted to look down at the floor, but I needed to get a glimpse of who was talking to me first. It was Lisa, the girl who had walked into me the previous week. I looked up at her and then quickly concentrated my gaze on my blue Converse.
“Yeah, that's me.” My voice was just above a whisper.
“I'm Lisa.”
“I know- I mean, I know because Patrick told me, he knows who you are, I didn't- um-” I spluttered, and panic rose in my chest. I stopped talking, trying desperately to repress the attack. I glanced up at Lisa again, who was watching me with curious sympathy.
“Yeah, Patrick uh, dated my older brother.” Lisa said, apparently deciding to ignore my antics.
“Yeah...um...Cole is really great.”
I could feel her eyes drilling into me, and I wished I could sink into the floor.
“He is. Patrick too.”
She left the comment to linger, obviously wanting me to say something.
“Yeah...I don't know what I would do without him.”
“You guys are pretty close, huh?”
I nodded. There was that awkward silence again, suffocating me. I breathed in deeply, pushing away the panic with all my strength.
“So uh...is he around today?”
I noticed that she was wearing Vans skate shoes with a hot pink-and-black checkered pattern. As I studied them, I answered,
“He's at home sick. I was over at his place last night and he was coughing a lot.”
“Oh.”
I noticed a bitter disappointment in her voice.
“Why?”
“He's bisexual?” she shot at me, quick as lightening, knocking my train of thoughts of their track.
“He claims to be, but if you ask me, he's just plain gay.”
“...oh.” now she sounded sad.
“Why all the questions?”
“Well...you're not like...a couple, are you?” she murmured.
I couldn't help but laugh, and I looked up at her to see hurt etched on her face. I abruptly shut my mouth.
“I promise you, we are not. What is it to you, if you don't mind me asking?”
I felt myself becoming more and more talkative with every passing moment; Lisa was easy to talk to.
“Well...” she began in a low voice, “...between you and me?”
“I swear.”
She sighed and rubbed the side of her nose distractedly.
“I barely even know you. You're just easy to talk to.”
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I have no other friends besides Patrick. Nobody to tell anything to.”
“Well that is kind of my point, I don't want you telling Patrick.”
I was now standing up straight, looking her in the eye as she spoke. She was carefully studying my face, and I did not feel intimidated or afraid. I was at ease.
“I promise you, I won't say a thing.”
I already had an idea where this was going, but I remained quiet.
“I really like Patrick. Like...really really really.”
I nodded slowly.
“I understand.” I told her.
Her eyes turned sharp, and she frowned.
“You do?”
“Don't get the wrong idea, I don't have a crush on Patrick. But I understand.”
“I don't have a crush on him.”
“Isn't that-”
“You misunderstood. I really really really like him. I think I'm kinda sorta maybe borderline in love with him.”
“...oh wow. How did this come about?”
I watched as she grabbed at her brown hair, pulling several strands out of her long braid, and leaned against a neighbor locker. Her eyes were squeeze shut.
“This is going to sound completely stupid, but it's because I used to eavesdrop on him and my brother's phone conversations, and now I stalk him on Facebook. Oh, and we had cyber sex once, but he thought I was Cole.”
I held my breath as I thought of an appropriate reply.
“Have you ever actually talked to Patrick?”
“We've made polite conversation over dinner with Cole and my parents?”
“What about Facebook?”
“I wished him happy birthday on his wall, and he answered with 'thank you' and a smiley face.”
I gave her the most sympathetic look I could muster, and gently placed my hand on her forearm.
“I'm so sorry, Lisa.”
She half-smiled.
“It's okay, there's nothing anyone can do. But are you really sure he's gay?”
“Not 100%.”
“So there might be hope.”
“Maybe.”
“Nice to know.”
She smiled, and the sunlight streaming in from the window across the hall caught her face at the perfect angle. Her eyes sparkled and her teeth were perfectly straight.
“You know, Lexi,” she began, “You're a pretty cool kid. You should meet my friends.”
“Eh...” I considered this for a second; I may not have been popular, but I was no freshman, and being seen with a group of them might curse me with even more unpopularity.
“They aren't a bunch of freshman losers, if that's what you're thinking.”
I laughed, secretly relieved, and answered,
“I'd love to meet your friends.”
The sound of the bell signaling the end of lunch hour rang through the hall, so Lisa moved away from the locker she'd been leaning on, and clapped me on the shoulder.
“I'll see you around.” she said with a smile, which I returned. Maybe making new friends was possible.

I almost skipped home, and I was impatient as I unlocked the front door. I couldn't wait to tell Anna! I swung open the front door and twirled into the foyer.
“ANNA!” I called as I slammed the door, “I'm home!”
“Lexi?” came a male voice from the living room. It stopped me in my tracks.
“Dad?” I called back.
“Lexi, you need to come in here a minute.” he answered seriously.
Frowning, I dropped my book bag on the floor, and walked into the living room. My dad was never home at this hour on weekdays, so something was obviously wrong. I looked around the room, searching for my sister. She sat awkwardly on the couch, her legs crossed and her back straight, looking uncomfortable. She smiled half-heartedly in my direction. My dad stood six feet away from her, leaning on the fireplace. He was in his lecturing position.
“Have a seat,” he told me, “I have a serious matter to discuss with you and your sister.”